Does anyone have any advice or info regarding a criminal background and job applications?

Question

I have some stuff on my record from when I was younger. How do background checks work? Do all companies check? Is it state to state, county or city level? I am not eligible for expungment. Is there any other way around this? Any help would be nice. Thanks

Answer 1

Byron ... A common problem. Of course, it really depends on the kind of work you're applying for. I imagine some employers don't care; they just go by what they see. However, the more serious the job is and the bigger the responsibility, the more your employer must trust you. In these cases, they have resources through which they may be able to check, especially if you try to get any kind of government job or contract.

I know it's hard to decide, but the best answer may be to just face up to what you did and show them you're a "stand-up" kind of guy. There are too many combinations to give you an answer that's guaranteed to be correct, of course. You have to consider the crime, the severity, your age, and attitude at the time, etc. And, of course, the kind of job you're applying for matters too.

But by the way you wrote your question, I think you ARE a stand-up guy. I wish you luck and hope things turn out for you, Byron.

Answer 2

As most of the posters have indicated above, it depends on the type of job you are looking for as to whether it will have an impact. More and more companies are checking and it is at the national level; however, most only report felonies and misdemeanors under 7 years old.

The exception would be a driving job, then not only will they pull a criminal history, they will pull your complete driving record and take that into consideration when hiring you. If you have had an OWIs in the last 7 years, chances are slim to none you are going to be able to get a driving job, even with your own vehicle.

Some jobs, like most banks, won't hire you if you have ever had a felony.

On thing not mentioned above that is very important is to truthfully answer on your application, based on the exact question. If they ask if you have committed a felony in the past 10 years and it has been over 11 years since the conviction date (not the date the crime was committed) then you can truthfully answer "No". If the application asks if you have ever been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude and you have a OWI (a/k/a DUI) then you say "No". If they ask you if you have ever been convicted of any crime, say "Yes", but don't elaborate too much about it (if it is older and a misdemeanor, just state the date of conviction and that it was a misdemeanor ) and just state you will discuss in an interview. Bottom line, don't lie on your application as it is grounds for immediate termination if it is discovered later on, but you don't have to divludge anything that is not specifically asked.

Answer 3

I worked for a company for a little while last year and it depends on the company. Some companies check some don't. Some go back as far as age 18 and some only go back a year or two. With the company I worked for it depended on what position you were applying for. If you were wanting a driving position, we might check back to when you were 18. It just depended on how old you were now and what your driving record looked like. If you were wanting a yard hand job, we may only look back a couple of years. The thing is, there were quite a few guys that had things on their records from many years back, but nothing recent. At that point it was up to the supervisor to make the decision to trust the applicant and hire him or not. If it was that long ago, they may look over your bad choices as a youngster.

Answer 4

It completely depends on the company. A corporation such as Walmart will conduct criminal background checks because they can afford to. they have massive buying power and unlimited resources. But your local car wash, not so much. If you fill out a job application, it will have you sign a statement that your signature verifies you read. This statement usually includes their hiring practice along with acknowledgement that they are an employer-at-will.

Basically, read the fine print before you sign the application and if you're looking to get a job at a locally-owned or small business, chances are they are not gonna check your background. Some of these places don't even check your employment history.

Answer 5

Be up front with them, be truthful, and admit that you made some mistakes when you were younger. A lot of companies are doing background checks now from a basic Wal-Mart job to a Federal job, but I would definitely tell them the facts before they find it out in a background check.

Someone will eventually admire your truthfullness, and hey, we all did silly things when we were younger. Good luck!

Answer 6

Most juvenile records r sealed. However, if u have been convicted of a felony and u don't admit it, whether sealed or not, that is a crime in itself. As far as state, city, county etc., it depends on where u live and where the crime was commited. In Texas, u have to do each place separately. Also, there r five states who do not report crimes to the FBI (Kansas is one of them) and most college campus PD's have to be checked separately as well. Most places do check, but may hire u anyway, and jobs such as the military can submit wavers to enlist u.

Answer 7

It depends on where you are applying. If it is for any type of law enforcement then a nationwide criminal background check will be done. This may or may not affect you, depending on what the charges were and whether they were a felony or a misdemeanor. As for anything else, I can't tell you much. If they ask be honest. If they don't ask, you don't need to tell.

Answer 8

i just know when i work as human resources assistant for the i worked for it was seven years that your record had to clear anything on your record under that was unacceptable and you wouldn't be considered for employment. i don't know about other companies but for the job i was at that's how it worked

Answer 9

Hi,
You can use http://governmentrecords.co.nr , to check all backgrounds records , its a great site,

Hope this helps you

Answer 10

i think what y0ou did in your past has nothijng to do with who you are today / not all do they use this as ascare tactic